Amaranth: The Withering
by Yuhi Sakura
Summary: Sakura and her friends are finally back home. But that peace, still wavering from the aftermath of the Blood Sport Tournament, might be shattered by an entity more terrifying than the Phoenix.
1. Chapter 1

**_Chapter One: Return_**

**_Disclaimer: I don't own X-men or Naruto. _**

Well, it had taken some...uh...altering of a few minds to account for the nearly two month absence the teenagers had accumulated during their captivity at the Blood-sport Tournament, but ultimately (And with Cerebro's aid in hacking and changing the school records) they had all returned to a life of relative normalcy; taking into account, of course, that they were mutants.

Brushing aside the sentiment, Sakura quickly raked her hair back and quickly pulled a coat over her shoulders.

"Sakura! Hurry up!" Kitty called down the hall impatiently.

"Coming!" Sakura replied, pulling the door closed behind her as she rushed out into the hall.

* * *

"I'll see you guys after school." Logan said, waving good-bye to them a bit stiffly as they shuffled out of the van.

"Thanks." Sakura smiled as she slung her backpack across her back.

"See ya, kid." He said.

Sakura waved and jogged after the rest of her group.

* * *

The day progressed at it usually did...up until her fifth period Physics class. Just as she was taking her seat, she saw the rapid flash of a familiar face in the crowd just outside of the door. And just as quickly, it was gone again...

Shaking off the odd feeling accompanying the incident, she turned her attention back to the class.

Not more than ten minutes in, a note came from the office asking for her.

"You're free to go, Ms. Samantha." The woman said, using her feigned name, as she handed her the slip.

Sakura nodded politely before gathering her things and walking up towards the administrative building. But on the way, she couldn't help but notice the abnormal amount of students in the halls...

Keeping her eyes on a particularly aggressive one, she was startled to suddenly find herself chest to chest with an old enemy.

"Jason." She spat, drawing herself up to her full height-admittedly not much against his.

"I guess I should have guessed." He shrugged, smirking knowingly.

"Guessed what?" Sakura demanded.

"That you're one of those freaks."

"I have _no _idea what you're talking about."

"You see, Freak, that night that I drugged you, I gave you the wrong one. The composite you got was about ten times stronger than what a human could tolerate. I guess the only good thing about that is I wasn't jailed for murder. That and the fact we can take out one more of you."

Sakura tensed, ready for a fight. Unfortunately, she would have to refrain from using her abilities or else they really would have a case against her.

The first one came at her back: She side stepped him, grabbing his wrist and flinging him into the next one charging her at her right. Ducking left, she leaned back to avoid an upper cut to her jaw. Bringing her knee up, she landed a critical abdomen blow to the third.

As she turned to meet the fourth offender, she felt an abrupt, sharp pain race up her spine. Stumbling forward, she grabbed a nearby locker to keep from toppling over.

"Just try to relax." Jason sneered as her vision began to swim in dizzy waves.

The next sensation that invaded her nervous system was the cold slap of the tile floor against her cheek.

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

**_Chapter Two: The Break_**

**_Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or X-men. _**

Sakura awoke to find herself hanging painfully by her wrists, suspended by chains that fed into a complicated contraption above her.

"Nice to see you're awake."

She twisted to meet a hooded figure-one who was obviously quite pleased at her pain. Choosing silence over the retort just itching to be hurled, she set her face into an unreadable façade.

"The silent type, I see. Well," He sneered, producing a whip comprised of metallic spikes, "That just makes breaking you all the more fun."

Sakura's eyes widened imperceptibly as he drew his arm back...

Turning away instinctively to protect her face, the whistle of the weapon filled her ears; the electric shock of the lash across her back was so intense her vision tunneled and darkened. Biting her lip to contain the cry in her throat, she glared side long at the sadist. By then, the whip was already cutting into her back again.

* * *

"What is taking her so long?" Scott muttered impatiently, staring at his watch.

"Seriously." Kitty sighed, throwing her head back in frustration.

"Ah, Scott."

"Hello, Ms. Caterwright." He replied, smiling at the Physics professor.

"I was hoping to catch one of you before you left. Samantha left her notebook in class when she was called up today. Would you give it to her for me?"

"Called up?" Jean asked.

"Yes, I presume it had something to do with her schedule."

"I'm sorry, can you clarify?" Scott inquired.

"The counselor sent for her during fifth hour. She didn't return before my class concluded."

"Thanks. We'll be sure she gets her notebook." Jean smiled, glancing at Scott.

As soon as the educator was out of earshot, Kitty said, "Her counselor is out today. I tried to see her earlier...she won't be back until Wednesday."

Scott flipped open his phone, "I'm calling the Professor."

* * *

The instant the call came in, the senior members of the team took action: Given recent events (And that fact that Sakura was almost neurotic about checking in), they couldn't afford to shake it off as a sudden change of plans on her part. They immediately turned to Cerebro.

"Can you get a fix on her?" Storm asked, leaning over Xavier to peruse Cerebro's screen.

"I'm triangulating her position now."

The diagram flickered to life on the monitor...

"You're kidding..." Logan snorted.

"Move out immediately." Charles ordered.

* * *

Sakura's eyes fluttered open...

She was alone this time...and the walls were spattered liberally with her blood. Groaning, she attempted to focus her chakra into her wounds. She hadn't gotten very far when the door at her back creaked open.

"Well, I sincerely wish we had more time to toy with you. But we can't have you causing trouble. Thank you, however, for all the data you so kindly supplied us with." Jason said, raising the firearm slung over his shoulder as several more took up positions around her and leveled their weapons.

Horror washed over her; had they injected her with a truth serum? What had she said? Who had she given away?

"What did you do to me?!" She demanded.

"Nothing that'll concern you here for very long."

* * *

Logan slipped into the building unnoticed-years of espionage had taught him more than enough to get past their supposedly 'state-of-the-art' security systems. Easily circumventing a camera by transversing the ventilation system, he quickly found the room he was looking for: Central command. Dropping down into the room, he scanned it briefly; luckily for them, he was alone. In one clean motion, he was up and at the computer console. Hacking the mainframe, he brought up the security camera feeds.

"Got her." He said, noting the room number and briefly consulting a layout before kicking out the door and charging into the hall.

* * *

"Fire."

Sakura knew she was going to die: Images flashed before her closes eyes as the roar of gunfire filled her ears.

And again she felt a sudden break deep within herself; her world swirled into a black void...she assumed it was death.

"What the hell?!" Jason cried as the bullets suddenly stopped-literally suspended in midair around her.

"I suggest," She smirked, her voice far more malevolent that before, "That you run."

Sakura flipped her head up, almost basking in the fear tangibly rolling off of them. Her eyes opened: Her viridian eyes were gone, replaced by empty black sockets that radiated evil.

"Oh, I'm sorry." She smiled, "I forgot it was already too late for you."

The chains binding her fell away, twisted into little more than pretzels. Her body hung ephemerally above them. The man nearest her suddenly dissolved into nothing more than a spray of blood. Sneering, she spun-her hands tracing an X across another man's chest...he was torn apart instantly.

"Now, I'd love to stay and toy with you some more, but I'm a very busy woman." She said with an off-handed wave.

Before she had finished her sentence, nothing remained of the men save the gory spatter their deaths left against the cold concrete walls.

And suddenly Sakura was back, covered in crimson grime...

"Wha...what...ha...ppene...d..." She stammered out, her hands trembling violently in front of her horror-stricken face.

The door suddenly exploded into a shower of splinters behind her. A startled scream tore past her lips, her hands flying up in a guard so practiced it was intuitive.

"Sakura!" Logan yelled.

"Logan!" She cried, leaping across the room and colliding with his chest.

"Are you alright?" He demanded, hauling her onto his back.

"I think so..." She trailed off, her fingers digging into the fabric of his uniform.

"What happened?"

"I don't know." She replied numbly.

Logan simply nodded, walking down the hall and to a waiting transport vehicle.

TBC


	3. Chapter 3

_**Chapter Three: Into the Nightmare**_

_**Disclaimer: I don't own X-men or Naruto. Hah! Did you see that? Yup, I mixed it up. Usually I have Naruto first but not today! Hah! **_

"She's been up there for days, Chuck." Logan snorted, glaring over the rim of his coffee cup.

The kunoichi hadn't left her room since her rescue: She refused all meals, traveled to school separately from the rest of the group, declined all missions, and actively avoided conversation with any and everyone.

"It's been almost a week." The Wolverine added.

"I'm hesitant to force her to relive her ordeal. Particularly when so much of it has been aggressively repressed. Surely you of all people can understand that." The Professor replied.

"So, what do you suggest?" He demanded.

"I'll speak with her today and see what can be done." He resigned.

* * *

Sakura stepped lightly into Xavier's office, half-hoping he didn't hear her.

"Hello."

"Hi…" She replied cautiously.

Toggling his chair, he turned to face her. "Please have a seat. Would you care for some tea?"

"No thank you." She said, avoiding his eyes despite his kind smile.

"I believe you know why I've called you here." He said, cutting to the point.

"I know…"

"Sakura, I understand you have some amnesia regarding the event. I'd like to help."

"With all due respect, I'm not sure I want to remember."

"You don't have to. I'm simply asking permission to enter your mind."

Sakura considered this for a moment before nodding.

Xavier smiled again, gently laying his hands on her temples and closing his eyes: He easily entered her mind—she hadn't yet learned how to put up mental wards—as was the case with many humans and mutants.

But that was where all similarity ceased: It was a difficult thing to attempt to describe someone's mind to someone who could never enter it. Although, each one could be figuratively compared to something in the tangible world; Logan's mind, for example, resembled a shattered mirror in which some memories were whole and true while others were scattered, warped fragments.

Her mind, however, was unlike anything he had ever experienced before: An ever changing tapestry of color reminiscent of the shifting hues of a fiber optics cable. Her memories were neatly arranged as individual petals on clusters of flowers.

"I don't appreciate guests."

He suddenly found himself facing down an ominous figure: The likeness of Sakura aside from her expansive black eyes that held neither whites nor pupils.

"Identify yourself." He demanded.

The entity laughed, gently laying her forefinger against his forehead.

"Get out."

The Professor was thrown so violently from her psyche that he toppled back, blood running from each nostril. Simultaneously, Sakura's head snapped back as she was tossed back by the force of the telekinetic back lash.

"Professor!" She cried, coming to her senses.

But the voice wasn't entirely her's: Jean crashed through the door, sprinting to her mentor's side.

"Oh my God…" She cried, staring in shock at the pink-haired young woman.

TBC


	4. Chapter 4

**_Chapter Four: Preemptive Measures_**

**_Disclaimer: I don't own X-men or Naruto. _**

"He'll be just fine, Sakura." Logan said as he squeezed her shoulder reassuringly.

"This is all my fault..." She sighed.

"Don't think like that." Logan growled.

Sakura didn't reply, but her opinion hadn't changed on bit. If it weren't for her, he wouldn't have been lying unconscious in the medical bay.

Taking the Professor's hand, she whispered how sorry she was and then turned to her mentor; "Logan, I have something I need to do." She said, adjusting the blanket on Xavier before stepping out.

* * *

Sakura noted, happily, that it was well past dark and that a snow storm was moving in. Already several inches were piling up outside. That would make covering her tracks easy...

Tearing open her closet door, she stuffed several shirt and pants into her backpack. Stowing her dwindling supply of weaponry and hitai-ate into the front pouch, she looped her arms through the straps and ran to her bathroom. Selecting the most potent perfume she owned, she stepped back into the main room. Locking the door, she threw the bottle down, shattering the glass container and spilling the strong-smelling liquid across the floor.

'That should keep him from picking up my scent.' She thought, hoping to throw Logan's nose.

Turning away, she pulled her gloves over her wrists---she didn't want to leave fingerprints...

Jerking the window open, she hopped onto the sill, took one last look behind her, and vaulted herself into the nearby pine tree. Scrambling up the lower branches, she quickly found cover in a particularly lush cluster of needles.

'Please work...' Sakura mentally pleaded: she hadn't attempted a jutsu since she had been thrust into their world and there was no guarantee that it would work...

Forming a single seal, she sighed, "Kage Bushin no Jutsu."

A thick fog formed, her clones appearing seemingly from the heavy clouds that rapidly thinned away.

"You know what to do..." She said.

Her replicas nodded knowingly, disappearing in multiple blurs of pink and black.

'I'm sorry guys, but this is for the best.' She thought as she looked back and then jumped into the next cluster of trees.

* * *

Logan, finding the medical bay unbearable for even one more minute, excused himself to the kitchen. In all the chaos, dinner had been completely forgotten and his appetite was catching up with him.

Opening the fridge, he pulled out what was left of the lasagna they had eaten the previous night and some soda. He really would have preferred beer, but given the minority of the students, Charles had a strict policy on alcohol. Sighing, he dumped the cheesy mess onto a plate and stuck shoved it into the microwave.

At about the same time, Kitty came bouncing down the stairs and into the kitchen.

"Hey, Logan." She smiled as she helped herself to a muffin, "How's it going?"

"Well enough." He shrugged as he pulled his plate out of the microwave.

"Have you seen Sakura? Jean said she was shaken up pretty badly and I haven't been able to find her. "

"She was upstairs a while ago."

"Really? I should go look again, then." Kitty said, phasing through the wall.

Logan shook his head in exasperation, gathering his plate up and walking into the living room. Passing the windows of the kitchen, he couldn't help but notice the thick layer of snow settling down outside.

"If I didn't know better, I'd say you were out there." Logan growled to Ororo as he took a seat next to her.

"I'll take that as a compliment." She replied.

"Some storm, though." He muttered to himself.

"Well, you know how it gets around her in the winter." She responded off-handedly.

"Logan! Ms. Ororo!"

Kitty came flying down the stairs, moving so quickly she almost vaulted herself over the table she collided with. Logan reacted instinctively, grabbing her arm to keep her from toppling over.

"Calm down, Kid. Now what's the matter?" He asked.

"Sakura's gone! Her window was open and one of her perfume bottles was shattered." She replied breathlessly.

"You don't think...?" Storm began.

TBC


	5. Chapter 5

**_

* * *

Chapter Five: Spring within Autumn_**

**_Disclaimer: I don't own X-men Evolution or Naruto!_**

Logan was getting worried; He'd been driving around the utterly abandoned town for over three hours looking for the kunoichi. And several times he had come close, or so he believed, to finding her only to have the likeness of her vanish in a cloud of fog.

Growling, Logan flicked the switch to the heater as high as it would go.

It was very disconcerting for the Wolverine to have to do that: With his naturally large and muscular body plus the added weight of the adamantium of his skeletal frame, his regular body temperature was close to one hundred and ten degrees Fahrenheit.

And he was _cold._

Flipping open his cell, he quickly punched in a few digits and brought the apparatus to his ear. A moment later, Storm's voice replaced the dial ring.

"Any luck?" He demanded gruffly.

"No. With Professor Xavier down, we can't use Cerebro to pinpoint her location."

Logan cursed under his breath and flung the cell aside without bidding his comrade good-bye.

* * *

Sakura was extremely grateful for the heavy snowfall that was blanketing North Salem: It hid her tracks, destroyed her odor trail, and screwed with technological tracking devices.

In other words, she was invisible.

Or, at least, she hoped she was.

* * *

Kitty paced at a frantic pace around the living room of the mansion despite all attempts to calm her.

"What if she's hurt?!" She yelled, tearing at her hair.

"Her fault for disappearing like that." Scott replied.

"_What _did you just _say_?" Kitty demanded, marching up to him.

"She's not exactly cautious." He scoffed.

Before anyone had registered the movement, Kitty had back-handed him hard enough to draw blood.

"Don't...talk...about...her...like...that!" Kitty shrieked.

"What in goodness' name is going on here?" Storm asked as she suddenly rounded the corner, fully out-fitted.

"Nothing." Scott snapped.

"I don't appreciate being lied to but I'll have to deal with you later."

"Where are you going?" Jean asked.

"We recently received an SOS. With most of our senior members indisposed, I'm the only one left. I expect you all to behave while I'm away."

They nodded out of duty more than actual agreement. But it seemed enough to please her and she quickly disappeared back down the hall.

* * *

Logan's keen eyes suddenly picked up on a blur of color: The wind died for a fraction of an instant and the snow settled just enough for a sliver of pink to shine through the white-out. Spinning his truck around in a blatantly illegal move, he slammed against the curb with enough force that for a moment he was balance on two tires. But his weight quickly leveled it out. He opened the door, kicking it with hard enough to dent it when the frozen hinges stalled mid-turn. Leaping over the hood, he caught her up in his arms easily.

"What were you thinking!?" He demanded, pushing away to look her in the eye although his hands never left her shoulders.

"I couldn't risk all of you!" She cried back.

"I thought we made it clear, we're here to stay." He responded, pulling her close again.

"You don't understand....its inside of me...it's something I can't control..." She mumbled.

But it was perhaps Logan who understood best: Years of harsh experimentation and cruel missions had resulted in a break in his personality. There was Logan and then there was the Wolverine. The alter ego was what had in fact given him his nickname. However, the true Wolverine-the dark, animalistic side of himself-was a vicious feral driven by pure instinct. There had been three times he had lost control of himself since joining the X-men. And all three had resulted in the death of his aggressor and the severe injury of his comrades...

"I do."

Sakura looked up into his eyes, her own covered in a thin, crystalline layer as her tears froze around them. Behind the gruff, aloof façade, she saw a true understanding.

"We need to get inside." He stated suddenly, noting the blue hue to her lips and skin and the pallid veil over her eyes.

Sakura nodded numbly as he ushered her into the truck, slid into the opposite seat, and turned the key in the ignition. The road before them stretched into a white void.

* * *

Storm stepped out into the white air that seemed alive with energy. Brushing her hair back, she walked out until she sensed she'd reached the end of the cliff she had perched the smaller of the two jets upon.

The sudden crunch of compressed snow reached her ears over the gale and she sighed.

"So...it was you."

"Who else?" The sensual female voice replied.

"Why are you feeding off of me?" Storm asked.

"You were most convenient ."

TBC


	6. Chapter 6

**_Chapter Six: Leeches_**

**_Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or X-men Evolution!_**

Storm sighed to herself; convenient, was she? No chance in hell...

The lovely mutant wheeled around, the force of the air currents flowing after her movements in a gale strong enough to knock her opponent back. The woman didn't fight the blow and instead rolled with it, its impetus pushing her back onto her feet. With a wave of her hand, a secondary tempest struck Storm. The weather-manipulator tumbled backwards dangerously close to the edge of the cliff. Ororo flipped onto her hands and swung her feet forward to keep her balance.

And then there was nothing more to fight...

'No! How are _they _back?!' She thought, tossing her head to clear her thoughts.

* * *

Xavier woke with a start just as Logan pushed open the medical bay door, a limp and slightly blue Sakura in his arms.

"Professor." Logan greeted brusquely as he laid Sakura onto a nearby table and quickly pulled several thermal blankets around her.

"Logan." He nodded, "Is she alright?"

"Nothing a thermal can't fix." Logan replied gruffly.

"I see." The Professor replied as he lay back down.

"Where's Storm?" Logan demanded.

"I don't know. I can't access her mind, or anyone else's, at the moment." He replied, not as a means of blame but as an explanation.

"Damn..." Logan cursed under his breath.

* * *

Storm's slender and skilled fingers danced across the keyboard on the Blackbird.

"Name: Ororo Munroe."

"Codename: Storm."

"Weather-manipulative mutate genome."

The computer read the sequence off as she entered her information. With a few keystrokes, she accessed another file and brought it up on her screen.

She had dealt with these creatures before: None as leeches, they psionically attached themselves to a person through a brief and perhaps even inconsequential encounter-bumping someone on the street. And from there they proceeded to leech the mutant's powers. The mutant would probably never know-they were parasites that didn't harm their 'hosts'-but the leech would, after a period of sustained sucking, gain their powers permanently for whatever means they saw fit.

However, most leeches had defects in the wiring of their brains that made them sociopathic and homicidal. And as such, they were often very, very dangerous.

And now that she knew what she was dealing with, she had to warn Xavier.

Her hands flew across the keys, typing out a message and depressing the 'Enter' key a moment later.

With that, she slid the control levers of the Blackbird upwards and the jet slowly ascended back into the clouds.

* * *

An automated voice came over the infirmary: "Charles Xavier, Ororo Munroe has sent a computerized SOS regarding mutate genome number 5689."

"Bring up the file, Cerebro." He replied.

A mechanical whir filled the room as a holographic image grew on the once blank screen in the lab. A message was imposed over the blank slate and quickly enlarged: _Mutate genome 5689 have coalesced again in the city. Precautions 45, 18, 65, 38, and 92 are suggested having shown great promise against the race. _

"Transmission terminated." Cerebro's voice sang.

"Logan." Xavier stated.

"I'm on it." 

* * *

Kitty crept into the infirmary well after midnight with a cup of tea in her hands. Not that it was hard when she could pass through the solid steel of the sick bay.

She slinked over to Sakura, gently shaking her.

Sakura started awake, almost lashing out at her friend on fearful impulse.

"Kitty!" She exclaimed happily.

"Nice to see you, too." The Valley girl replied as she pressed the cup into Sakura's hand. "You have a lot of explaining to do."

"I know."

"So, school's been cancelled for the next week because of this freak blizzard." The Pryde continued.

"Great." Sakura smiled, sipping at the herbal beverage.

"Yeah. But Logan's been acting really weird for a few hours. He's even quieter than usual. And I haven't heard a snarky remark all day."

Now _that_ was worrisome.

"I wonder why." Sakura replied.

She had been unconscious before, during, and well after Storm's message had been received and replied to. So she was just as, if not more, lost than her phasing-friend.

The door of the infirmary slid open and Jean stepped inside, a duffel bag of Kitty's already hanging over her shoulder.

"Pack up. We're leaving." She stated.

TBC


	7. Chapter 7

_**Chapter Seven: Fracture**_

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Evolution or Naruto. **_

Sakura wasn't even really sure how she managed to pack a bag, load it on the jet, and find a seat in the few minutes they were given, but she did. As did everyone else.

But she had the benefit of Logan's paternal and ill-mannered fussing. He, for the most part, did the loading, and packing in some cases, for most of the females. As much as he hated to admit it, he couldn't help but feel a very fatherly connection to them. And in that, he often found himself protecting (or overprotecting) them from anyone and anything. In this case, it was a guard against hurting themselves as they lifted their luggage.

But, of course, Logan wasn't so attached that he didn't know most of them could destroy entire city with a snap of their fingers. His acts of kindness were more so for his own soundness of mind than an actual need on their part.

* * *

Only Storm, their pilot, avoided falling asleep on the twelve hour journey to their figurative citadel: a massive underground compound that was large enough to be a small city and so heavily armed, it was, in the wrong hands, the single greatest threat to mankind's survival…not even nuclear weapons compared to the fire power stored there. And the tech was more advanced than anything on Earth would be for more than fifty years.

She pulled in slowly, gently rousing them with a buzz over the intercom. And from there they moved with the military precision drilled into them: they filed out, taking their bags and finding empty rooms as the older members moved to stock food and back-up weaponry in the storage bays.

They had very little time to lose: if the leeches had begun to feed from them already, they would all require immediate treatment.

And that was far from a pleasant experience: leeches fed off a mutant literally and psychically; the only way to rid someone of them, was to force them off…

You had to poison the body and mind for a short time and hope the treatment didn't kill the patient.

* * *

Storm endured the treatment well, having had it several times in the past. Shortly after her, it was determined Logan should go. And, as expected, he thought nothing of it.

Then came Kitty: she sighed as she sat down, trying to replace fear with a front of teenage boredom…but Sakura saw it in her eyes as the restraints closed around her wrists, ankles and over her chest to prevent her from thrashing and hurting herself further. The Professor gently pressed his fingers against her temple, ready to flush her mind as Logan stood to the side, a needle hovering over her arm.

He nodded and it began: the needle sank in, though her cry was from the invasion of her mind. They both pulled back after a moment, though she continued to cry out and struggle.

"Vitals are falling!" Storm cried, turning in her chair.

Sakura moved; shoving all of them aside as her hand came across the girl's abdomen, her left rising to her forehead. Chakra flowed into her as energy flowed from her psychic reserves into her mind. Obviously, the leech had been purged; all that remained was to draw the poison from her wounds.

Her hand came away, an orb of red liquid hovering the chakra sphere as the negative psionic energy flowed from her.

Her eyes snapped open, and she smiled at Sakura as she drew back.

Sakura sighed, commenting comically that with so many of them around, they really needed to continue with the procedures.

* * *

Sakura collapsed back against her bed, gently rubbing the sore puncture in her arm. It wasn't worth the chakra it took to heal it, but it was annoying nonetheless.

Sighing again, she picked herself up and stepped into the hall. Some fresh air wasn't going to harm her and would likely do more good than anything else.

The halls were empty, so she treaded lightly to avoid waking the others. Ascending the stairs, she opened the door to the outside port and stepped onto the rocky cliff-like slope.

"What are you doing up?"

She turned on the voice, dislike roiling in her throat.

"I don't take orders from you, _Scott_."

"But you do."

"Really? Last time I checked prepubescent males didn't give me orders; excuse me, I meant I don't take them from prepubescent males."

"I bet you think you're really funny." He hissed.

"Funnier than you on your best day." She retorted with a feminine snort.

He advanced and she pulled a kunai, laying it against his throat before he could lift his sunglasses.

"Do you honestly dislike me so much you'd attack me?" She asked with a measure of amusement, "Then I've already won."

Something about her voice chilled him and he backed away, letting her back into the compound.

* * *

Sakura pushed herself against the wall, trying to catch her breath.

She didn't even remember pulling the blade, let alone moving against him…How had she…

She shuddered, falling against the wall and pulling her knees up around her chest.

* * *

Scott had to be honest without himself even if he wasn't entirely sincere with others; he hated the girl because she upset the balance: she put Jean to shame as a psychic mutant, made the Professor look like a novice, elicited emotion in Logan, pushed Kitty to mature…and made him realize the extent of his immaturity.

He growled to himself…

Revelation or not, he still _hated_ her.

* * *

Sakura decided right then and there: if emotion drove her to _that_ breaking point…she would feel nothing.

TBC


	8. Chapter 8

_**Chapter Eight: Emotion Arises **_

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Evolution or Naruto. **_

Sakura stepped out into the night long after Scott had retired, finding her way over the rocky hills and climbs to a cliff that overlooked the churning water below her. The moonlight filtered beautifully through the rough waves, shining back against the cliff face.

She stood up, breathing in as she inched her way closer to the edge, the wind howling around her. Her bare feet stung as the sharp rocks dug into the bare flesh, the skin on her arms prickling from the cool wind skating her flesh. Her hair swam around her eyes, a cold sweat running icily down her slender, pulsing throat.

"Hey!"

She turned suddenly, tripping over her own twisted ankle. She faltered, catching her balance on her arms as she fell forward. An arm came around her waist, hauling her up unceremoniously, but not without care.

"Logan!" She gasped, surprised at the sudden motion.

"What do you think you're doing?" He growled.

"I…uh…" She stammered stupidly.

He snarled wordlessly deep in the back of his throat, his eyes burning so intensely into hers that she was forced to glance away.

"I…I just wanted to feel…_alive_ again." She finally sighed.

"There are better ways." He replied snappily.

She looked up at him questioningly.

Not bothering to drop her, he stated, "Come with me."

* * *

Sakura dove beneath him, spinning on her heel and bringing her leg up at him. He leapt over her, sweeping his leg towards her ankle. She rolled over the extended appendage, attempting to loop her arm around his neck. He was stronger, though, and flung her easily over his shoulder, pinning her. The winding blow was more than enough to end the sparring match.

"Feel alive now?" He asked gruffly as he helped her up.

She laughed, wrapping a towel around her neck as she replied, "More on the dead side, but, hey."

He growled good-naturedly in response, chugging a bottle of water. Tossing the empty plastic jug in the wastebasket, he wiped the sweat away from his eyes.

"Logan…"

He turned around, "Yeah?"

"Thank you." She said simply.

He growled, "No problem."

Sakura watched as he walked out of the small, empty room and was suddenly struck by several things. The first was the sheen of sweat that coated him. The second was the fact that he truly was massive. The third was that he was quite handsome…

She blushed, shaking her head violently to clear the thought. He was her _teacher_, for the love of goodness. Her savior…she shook her head again. She _really_ needed some sleep.

* * *

She wasn't sure what woke her up, but several hours later she found herself staring into the empty hall outside of her room. She wasn't sure what was happening, but she knew _something_ was _there_. There was just the overpowering and ill sense of being _watched_. And somehow, not matter how she turned or twisted, it was always _behind_ her.

"Who's there?!" She demanded.

Something sickly and toxic laughed---a thin emaciated kind of chuckle that sent chills up her spine. Cold sweat suddenly gathered along the fine hair at the nape of her neck. Fear seized her, and to alleviate some of the panic rising in her throat, she pressed her back against the wall.

The alarm sounding was so sudden, she couldn't suppress the scream that tore through her throat; although she dampened it enough so that it seemed more a yelp of surprised than fear.

It was Storm that came around the corner first, already outfitted.

"What's happening?" Sakura asked.

"We don't know." The mutant replied, motioning for her to follow.

Sakura cursed loudly, sprinting back into her room to grab some real clothes before following after her. Stumbling out of the room as she zipped a shirt over her night shift, she managed to negotiate her boots as she ran. She imagined she was a fairly comical sight in a red top over shorts spattered with lace and small pink hearts topped off with combat boots. But she didn't have time to question it too extensively.

She stumbled into a seat, tightening her boots with one hand as she pulled her harness over her chest. Logan sat down beside her, gave a noise that indicated amusement, and easily buckled himself into place.

She shot him a glance that would have had even Sasuke on edge, but _he_ merely smirked.

"Something funny?" She growled.

"You." He replied.

Sakura gave an exasperated sigh, throwing her arms up before simply turning away. But she could hear him chuckle beside her.

* * *

The jet touched down much more forcefully than she would have expected the expert Storm to accomplish, and it immediately set her one edge. Apparently, the feeling was mutual, if the small sliver of silver from Logan's knuckles was any indication.

He nodded slightly to her as she slowly undid the harness around her and slid towards the door, Logan close behind. She nodded back to him as she laid her hand on the door, slowly twisting it to open it. It had only just released when it was torn from its hinges and sent flying into her. The impact snapped several ribs and her wrist and she felt vertebrae fracture as her back slammed against the wall.

Logan gave a wordless cry of rage as he dove through the open port only to find himself painfully pinned a moment later…in midair.

"Magneto." He spat as the metal in his body was painfully pulled.

"Heads up!"

The cry accompanied a sudden, massive gray flash and a blur of pink and white. Magneto easily deflected the door with a flick of his wrist, but was too late to stop Sakura's fist. The impact sent him spiraling back into the open city around them.

With an exhalation of annoyance, Magento righted himself and extended his hand towards her, drawing at her. And then his expression fell.

"That's right. I'm anemic." She smirked as she leveled her own palm against the line of his stomach. It took a single burst of telepathic energy to send him sprawling again.

She never saw another attack coming at her, she only heard Logan's cry of rage as he barreled past her and into an emaciated figure.

"Famine…" She exhaled, trying to catch her breath.

"Little bitch."

Sakura turned on the lithe and sensual figure of Mystique, her blue skin and yellow eyes the only thing marring her very real beauty. But physical beauty far from compensated for her evil nature.

"_You're_ one to talk." Sakura snapped back.

Mystique slinked closer and Sakura tensed, ready to fight her.

Mystique moved first, pulling a gun with speed even Sakura had to admire, no matter how briefly. The kunoichi kicked up, disarming her easily only to have the woman catch her leg and spin her. The impact against the concrete was enough to wind her, but not for long. As Mystique aimed another pistol at her, she kicked out, catching the woman's ankle. She tumbled, the gun skidding out of her reach, as Sakura pinned her.

A hand came across her shoulder, and she sighed, expecting Logan's. Instead, she found herself eyes a wasted claw that accompanied a painful dragging sensation in the pit of her stomach, like a tub being drained of its water.

She reeled suddenly, flinging the girl off of her, but not before she had been completely zapped of a good portion of the muscle mass in her chest and arm. Kicking back on the cement, she moved backwards, frantically amassing chakra to the damaged portion of her body.

Her emerald gaze flickered to Logan's painfully thin and sprawled figure, but his stomach still moved…a sure sign he was breathing.

Famine hissed, suddenly throwing herself at Sakura. A flash of white blinded her, a gust throwing her back.

"Stay away!" The deep voice echoed, Storm's eyes burning white as she rose up above them.

Mystique smirked as she easily righted herself, leveling a pistol at the storm-manipulator. Sakura charged her with a cry of, "No!" slamming against her. The round went wild, projectiles embedding themselves in the concrete around them.

Mystique growled, flinging the injured telekinetic. Aiming her pistol at the huddled figure she gave a dark chuckle, "I win."

"Not so fast." Logan hissed, capturing the shape-shifter's wrist and pulling it back.

"Bastard." She hissed.

He simply tossed her, throwing her easily. She skidded, faltering only to grip the rim of the building. But far from looking afraid, she smirked…

"I hope you didn't leave anything…_valuable_ behind."

Sakura lunged for her; if she had information, she needed it. But by then, Mystique had dropped into the shadows.

"Get in the jet!" Storm cried, literally shoving Logan in with a gust of wind as she dragged Sakura up, "Hold on!"

Disregarding the destroyed latch, Storm shoved her way to the cockpit and powered up the control panel.

Sakura was completely unprepared for the lurch of the jet, and her barely secured harness snapped from the buckle. The jet suddenly heaved left, flinging her against the metal ribcage. The planed rolled, and the open vent rushed up to meet her. But the movement dislodged another harness, and it caught in the crook of her arm. The jerk flipped her legs up, which she had the presence of mind to hook over another harness.

"Logan!" She cried as the plane lurched again.

He didn't have time to respond before the plane collided against the ground and fire rose up around them.

TBC


	9. Chapter 9

_**Chapter Nine: in Which Some of Much is Explained**_

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Evolution or Naruto. **_

Xavier pondered the red-head's question over the rim over his tea cup, lifting it to his lips and back down again before replying.

"It was, in essence, the first wave of a tsunami, so to speak."

"I don't understand." Jean responded.

Xavier massaged his temple for a moment, "The first wave of her abilities were so powerful, they interrupted time and space; hence how she is with us."

"Then why can't she return?"

"With training, time, and patience, she might one day be able to."

Jean nodded; that much was understandable: the first release had been pure, unrestrained psionic energy. It would be nearly impossible to recreate the situation that caused that first awakening---and even _if_ they somehow managed to simulate it, there was no guarantee it would return her to her time and world.

"And her telekinetic abilities?" Jean asked.

" Aside from her basic psionic abilities? She has a highly specialized subdivision of psionic capability referred to informally as either bio-kinesis or organic telekinesis."

"I've never heard of such an ability." Jean stated.

"It is, as I said, very specialized. In essence, it allows the mutant to change their body and, in some very rare cases, the bodies of others and to manipulate organic matter around them."

Jean shook her head, signaling she wasn't quite getting it, yet.

Xavier sighed, more out of self-irritation for his inability to properly explain it than annoyance for Jean's ignorance, "For example, the wings she displayed several months previously were the beginnings of her ability to use organic telekinesis. With a great deal of training, she could alter her physiology completely."

"Isn't that dangerous?" Jean asked.

"No more dangerous, with training, mind you, than it is for you to pick up a book with your mind."

Jean nodded, feeling slightly out of her depth. "How far do her abilities range?"

"I don't have the answer to that." He replied.

"Professor, what was that entity, then, that attacked you when you attempted to probe her mind?"

"I don't know. I suspect it's similar to your Phoenix."

Jean swallowed back hard, "Is she…is she more powerful than you?"

"With time, she will be."

"And me?" Jean asked.

"Perhaps." Xavier replied.

* * *

It was sometime later that that annoyance Scott was feeling hit Jean rather hard: up until Sakura's arrival, Jean was the most powerful telekinetic mutant in the world, aside from Xavier---and that was a difference of training and years more than ability. She hated to admit it to herself, but she had taken pride in her status. She was…_wanted_. Admittedly, by more than just Scott…but it felt so good to be _desired_.

She paused briefly in the hallway, wondering exactly when she would start to feed her hostility the way Scott was…

And then she remembered she could make the conscious decision to love him, but not be _like_ him.

* * *

Sakura groaned as she was hauled from the burning wreckage around her. Her eyes fluttered open as cool air struck her face and chest, shaking her to reality.

"Logan!" She cried, horrified at the burns covering his arms.

He growled a warning even as the wounds closed over.

"What about Storm!" She yelled.

He grunted in another warning; he had grabbed her when the plane crash—by the time he looked over, the cockpit had already collapsed. If she was alive, she was a capable mutant; she would find a way out. If not…they had to get away. They were in the middle of a crowded city and prime candidates for a political scapegoat conspiracy. They couldn't afford even to be seen.

"Watch out!" Sakura cried as a sheet of white-hot metal was flung at them.

Logan growled in anger, knowing there wasn't enough time to evade it.

Sakura lashed out with her mind, sending the sheet reeling back towards Magento as he pushed his way through the flames. He caught it easily, levering it aside harmlessly and then leveled his gaze on Logan.

"_I don't think so_!" Sakura yelled as she engaged him psionically.

The force of the attack sent him flying, but he quickly regained control and sent another shard of flaming steel at her. Sakura raised her hand defensively, flicking her wrist in a motion that flung it aside.

"Clever girl." He replied, circling her.

Sakura rolled her eyes as she attempted to form her psionic energy into a blade. If she could do it with her chakra, she reasoned she could do it with her mind. And if that was the case, she _would_ disembowel him from the inside out.

Magneto 'tsked' slightly as he sent a rain of sharp, hot debris at her and Logan.

Sakura halted her initial effort and redirected her energy at halting the wreckage. She forced a ripple of energy through the shards suspended in midair and sent them right back at him.

"I've had _just_ about _enough_ of _you_!" She yelled as she leapt at him, her fist pulled back.

He easily side-stepped her, smiling in a way that guaranteed he knew something. Sirens suddenly pierced the night and Sakura's head snapped back to the flashing lights. She reeled on him long enough to see him disappear with his satisfied smirk.

"We have to get out of here!" She told Logan unnecessarily.

"Then let's!" Storm replied as the wind suddenly whipped up, carrying dirt and debris into the air in a thick curtain.

By the time it cleared, there was little left of them aside from the burned-out wreckage of the jet.

* * *

"You are entirely too heavy." Storm huffed as she focused another air current beneath Logan. At just over three hundred pounds, she was having a hard time keeping him airborne.

Sakura breathed deeply, focusing her energy behind her shoulder blades until she felt her wings unfurl again. She figured it was a reasonable way to alleviate some of Storm's burden. But the drain on herself was considerable, as well.

It seemed like an eternity to all of them before their current base came into sight and they were able to touch down.

"What a relief." Sakura sighed as her feet landed against solid ground.

"You're telling me." Logan growled; the flight had been much more unnerving for him. Granted, he could survive almost any fall…but the pain was still a real concern.

Storm just laughed as she walked past them with her usual grace.

Sakura smiled at Logan as she walked after her only to have him capture her shoulder and turn her around.

"You're bleeding." He stated.

Sakura brought her hand to her face, her fingertips coming back crimson.

"Just a nosebleed." She assured him.

He released her, walking past her and she gave a private sigh of relief. She wouldn't be able to do much for a day or two.

* * *

"There you are!" Kitty cried as Sakura walked in.

Sakura gave a wordless cry of joy as they crashed into each other, looping their arms around each other.

"I missed you!" The brunette mutant stated.

"Me, too!" Sakura replied.

"Where have you been?" She asked.

"Here and there." Sakura responded.

"I am deeply sorry to interrupt, but if I might have a word, Sakura."

She turned on the voice, bowing deeply to Xavier.

Kitty pulled her close, whispering, "I'll catch up with you later."

Sakura nodded, following after the Professor.

He led her down the hall and into his office, motioning for her to take a seat as he retrieved a pot of hot water and two cups.

"Would you care for some tea?" He asked.

Sakura nodded with a mumbled, "Thank you."

He poured the steaming water into her cup, filling his next.

"I was hoping we could discuss your impressive progression."

"Uh…I'm not sure what I should say." Sakura replied, feeling uncomfortable already.

"Your actions speak louder than you ever could." He responded.

"Then what is there to talk about?"

"I want you to work more closely with Beast on a few matters. I believe your input would be invaluable."

Sakura smiled despite her best efforts to beat the happy feeling back; she was finding it easy to suppress her negative emotions, but not so easy with the positive ones. She had even begun to reason that perhaps it was only negative feelings she needed to worry about.

"Professor…about what happened a few days ago…"

"Don't apologize. It was hardly your fault." He smiled.

Sakura gave an uneasy grin back before she stood up and stepped out of the office.

* * *

"Ah, Sakura, my dear." Beast stated with affection as he slid his glasses off of his face.

"Hello, Professor." She smiled back.

"Please, call me Hank." He replied as he prepared some tea for her.

"Tea seems to be quite popular here." She remarked playfully.

"An unfortunate consequence of dealing with adolescents."

"How so?" She asked humorously.

"With so many rebellious hormones raging, we can't afford to have more adult beverages lying around. Many of us are so addicted now we can't stomach anything stronger." He chuckled.

Sakura laughed as she accepted the cup.

"Now, though, onto business?"

"Certainly." She responded.

"I'm working on an injection to help stabilize injured personnel in the field."

"I would suggest a synthetic adrenaline."

"That was my initial, though, as well."

"What data made you rethink your original formula?"

"Some mutations prevent this simple an explanation." He responded.

"Hmm…well, if you could create an injection that would stimulate the glands in the body, you wouldn't have to worry about individual mutations."

"Brilliant!" He replied.

"Glad you like it." She chirped back.

"Now then…I believe you might be able to help me with some other…projects."

* * *

If nothing else, Sakura walked away from the day with a sense of accomplishment. She was so in her elemental in a medical lab it was just so…_right_. It was her area of expertise and the one thing she could boast, at least privately, over the rest of the gifted students.

But she couldn't shake the feeling that something was still wrong…it was always there, biting at the back of her mind…

TBC


End file.
